Story Highlights

Remaining unbeaten through eight games for the just the third time in the past quarter century has fourth-ranked Notre Dame (according to the College Football Playoff selection committee) riding high as the football calendar flips to November.

Switching to junior quarterback Ian Book after three games has paid huge dividends as the Northern Californian leads the nation in completion percentage by a wide margin. Junior cornerback Julian Love has routinely shut down one side of the field as first-year defensive coordinator Clark Lea hoped he would entering the season.

Two thirds of the way through their regular season schedule, the Irish also have seen the emergence of a handful of unexpected standouts who could yet become stars, if they aren’t already. Here’s a closer look at five such contributors:

Julian Okwara

Notre Dame's Julian Okwara takes down Stanford Cardinal running back Bryce Love (20) in their game this season at Notre Dame Stadium.(Photo: Matt Cashore/USA TODAY Sports)

Younger brother of former Irish pass rusher Romeo Okwara, who had nine sacks as a senior in 2015 and now plays for the NFL's Detroit Lions, this junior defensive end seems to get better each week.

“They’re different personalities,” Irish coach Brian Kelly said of the Brothers Okwara. “They are both very intense competitors. Off the field, they’re a little bit different. As players, Romeo was a big end, where (Julian) is much more of a speed player for us.”

It’s not just about sacks with Okwara, who has been credited with 2.5 of those on the year including the only one for the Irish against run-first Navy on Saturday. It’s more about the hurries and the consistent pressure the speed-rushing Okwara (6-foot-4, 241 pounds) has been able to put on enemy passers.

“He harasses the quarterback,” Kelly said. “He gets quarterbacks uncomfortable. They move their feet. They change their launch point. Their eyes drop. Things just make them uncomfortable.”

Okwara splits time at the drop end spot with classmate Daelin Hayes, who missed the Virginia Tech game with a shoulder stinger. Okwara missed the second half of that game after being ejected for targeting, but he made up for that with eight hurries and a key tackle for loss in coverage the following week in a narrow win over Pittsburgh.

Aaron Banks

A redshirt freshman from Alameda, Calif., Banks sat behind senior Trevor Ruhland for two games after senior captain Alex Bars went down for the year with a knee injury against Stanford. But the bye week proved a perfect time to move the mammoth talent (6-foot-6, 319 pounds) into the starting lineup.

“It’s his time,” Kelly said. “We felt like Aaron has accelerated his game. We wanted to team up somebody as close to Alex Bars as possible, and Banks is that guy.”

Notre Dame wasted little time on Saturday against Navy running behind its new road-grader left side of the offensive line: Banks and junior left tackle Liam Eichenberg, who goes 6-6 and 308 pounds. The result was a 254-yard rushing output with an average of 5.9 yards per carry and four touchdowns.

Kelly noted the lineup change gives the Irish “two really big, physical, athletic players on the left side” of the line. Banks, who enrolled early in January 2017, picked up a holding penalty in the fourth quarter, but otherwise the former four-star recruit fared well in his starting debut.

“We think our best chance at playing at the level we need to (includes) a 325-330 pound lineman that pass protects very well, moves his feet very well and plays with explosiveness,” Kelly said of Banks. “We think we’ve got the right guys in the right position.”

Dexter Williams

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Notre Dame running back Dexter Williams after rushing for 142 yards and three scores in 44-22 win over Navy
Indianapolis Star

After missing the first four games of his senior season due to an unconfirmed suspension, Williams ripped off seven touchdown runs through the next four games.

Those included a 45-yard burst up the middle on his first touch of the year against Stanford and a 97-yard dash at Virginia Tech to break open a tight game. As he did against the Hokies, Williams ran for three scores in Saturday’s 44-22 win over Navy.

That 23-carry, 142-yard effort, along with three more catches for 27 yards, earned him the game ball. But Kelly said it was bestowed more for Williams’ blocking in blitz protection than anything else.

“Dexter is clearly becoming that top back, if you will, but he’s becoming a complete back,” Kelly said. “He’s not been that for us. He got the game ball because of his blocking; he was outstanding.”

Williams didn’t just lead the crowd in a chant of “Let’s go, Irish!” during a break down near the goal line, he also did yeoman’s work to keep Book’s jersey clean.

“Picked up a blitz, took care of the blitz,” Kelly said of one notable play. “Came back around, picked up another player. Caught that ball coming out of the backfield. That was not part of his identity as a back.”

Williams, whose ailing mother Cheryl has since returned home to the Orlando area after moving in with him during his suspension, is taking pride in doing the little things.

“I don’t really try to chase stats,” he said. “I try to go out and win each and every game with my brothers. It doesn’t matter if I have 10 carries, 20 yards or 10 carries and 100-some yards. I try to lay it all on the line that night and just keep moving and just keep on winning.”

Drew White

Limited to the scout team through his first season and a half, the redshirt freshman enjoyed a six-tackle coming-out party Saturday against Navy.

Younger brother of former Auburn quarterback Sean White, the Irish linebacker was a surprise choice to fill in for graduate captain Drue Tranquill after he was carted off with a sprained right ankle just eight defensive snaps into the game.

“He was down on the defensive scout team; I was impressed with him,” Kelly said of White. “He put together a good month of work down there where he was instinctive, fast, physical. So, I pulled him off there and gave him to (special teams coach Brian Polian). Then he showed on special teams.”

A three-star recruit from South Florida powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas, White made the most of his opportunity. With Tranquill questionable for Saturday’s game at Northwestern, the 6-foot, 228-pound White could see more time in the base defense in addition to special teams.

“This was something that has been kind of percolating,” Kelly said. “He’s been emerging. It was perfect for him (against Navy) to kind of get his feet wet. It was our first glimpse of him, allowing him to go in there and play football. He did a really good job. We’re going to enhance it a little bit more.”